The Last Pine
₹249.00
- By: Honey Saxena
- ISBN: 9789376864805
- Price: 249/-
- Page: 144
- Size: 5×8
- Category: JUVENILE NONFICTION / General
- Language: English
- Delivery Time: 07-09 Days
Description
About The Book
The Last Pine is the story of vanishing soul of the Himalayan highlands, narrated through the ancient, resinous consciousness of a lone Chir Pine. It is not merely a story of environmental decay, but a deep psychological portrait of a community losing its anchor. The book masterfully traces the “Great Thinning”—the slow erosion of a vibrant mountain village as it transforms into a cluster of silent “ghost houses.”
The narration is a sophisticated blend of folklore, history, and ecological mourning. It begins in the age where the rhythm of life is set by temple bells and the sacred firewood trails. This harmony is shattered by a series of seismic shifts: the arrival of the “Iron Beast” (the first bus), the “Uniform Dream” of the 1971 war, and the cold, commercial greed of timber merchants like Abid Pasha. As the red “X” of the Forest Officer marks the trees for death, the village loses its spiritual and physical shield, leading to the visceral tragedy of the “Night of the Crimson Mud.”
What sets this book apart is its authentic “Pahari” soul. Drawing from the author’s own travels across Uttaranchal and Himachal, the prose tastes of woodsmoke and high-altitude mist. It captures the heartbreak of Palaayan (the Great Migration), where the youth are lured away by the “Technicolor Dream” of the plains, leaving behind a “Ghost Post Office” filled with unread letters. Ultimately, the book is a testament to resilience; even as the old world falls, a single green sapling rises from the ruins, ensuring that the mountain’s story, though changed, will never truly end. The Book took approximately 6 years to be compiled, many of the artefacts used are fictitious, but certainly the theme, the feel, the emotions are not.
About The Author
Honey Saxena, affectionately known across the riding community as “Honey Bhai,” is far more than just an author; he is a custodian of nostalgia and a relentless seeker of high-altitude horizons. Based in Delhi but rooted in the small-town charm of Bareilly, Honey has earned a legendary reputation as the “Jawa Yezdi Guy.” For him, these iconic two-stroke machines are not just vintage steel—they are a “religion” and a bridge to his most cherished memories.
Honey’s journey into the heart of the mountains began on the saddle of his restored motorcycles. His passion for the open road has taken him and his close-knit groups of friends on epic expeditions across the rugged switchbacks of Uttaranchal and the mist-shrouded valleys of Himachal Pradesh. Whether navigating the “Iron Beast” (the bus) routes or carving paths through the “Copper Earth” of the high ridges, Honey’s travels are defined by a deep, meditative admiration for the hills.
As a collector and restorer, Honey is known for his obsessive attention to detail—a trait that translates into the lyrical and atmospheric prose of his writing. He doesn’t just visit the mountains; he listens to them. His deep connection to the Jawa-Yezdi fraternity has built a network of storytellers and wanderers, each mile traveled adding a new ring to the “heartwood” of his experiences.
Through his eyes, the Himalayas are not just a destination but a living, breathing witness to the passage of time. The Last Pine is a culmination of those cold morning starts, the shared chai at roadside stalls, and the quiet wonder that only a rider at the edge of a vast mountain range can truly understand. When he isn’t writing or riding, Honey continues to keep the spirit of the two-stroke engine alive through his venture, Ideal Spares, ensuring that the “heartbeat of resin” and the roar of the vintage engine continue to echo through the hills he loves.
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